INDUSTRY GIANTS 2013 SPEAKERS
Brandon Oldenburg
Partner and Director at Moonbot Studios
2012 Acedemy Award Winner Best Animated Short Film for “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”
Commencement Speaker
Feel the Vibe, Read the Room, Test the taste but most of all… PLAY it by Ear.
Brandon Oldenburg is an Academy Award winning director, illustrator, designer and sculptor.
In 2010 he co-founded the Shreveport, Louisiana based Moonbot Studios and co-directed the 2011 Oscar award winning animated short film, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”. Since founding Moonbot in 2009 with co-founders William Joyce and Lampton Enochs, Oldenburg has also led Moonbot to create two award winning iPad Apps, including “The Numberlys,” a fanciful depiction of the origin of the alphabet, and an interactive “Morris Lessmore” app that brings the short film to life on the iPad. Most recently Brandon co-directed a hybrid short film and an ios game titled The Scarecrow for Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Prior to launching Moonbot, Oldenburg oversaw a joint venture with William Joyce and Reel FX Creative Studios from 1998 to 2009 in which they collaborated on such works including Halloween decor for Martha Stewart, parade floats for Disney and title design for feature films such as Mr. Magorium. Their most recent story is now the most recent DreamWorks Animation feature film called Rise of the Guardians, which was their first and longest project together.
In 1995 Oldenburg co-founded Reel FX Creative Studios where he did a combination of design and special effects for television and film. Serving as Senior Creative director for 15 years, he worked with such clients as Troublemaker Studios, Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks and Blue Sky Studios.
Additionally, Oldenburg and renowned designer Brad Oldham collaborated on a giant sculptural series for a $1.4 million commission called “The Traveling Man,” which has drawn national attention. His illustrations have graced the covers for prestigious authors’ books such as Elmore Leonard and Michael Chabon.
In 2010, Oldenburg was honored with the Distinguished Alumni of the Year from Ringling College of Art and Design, where he received his BFA in Illustration in 1995 and sits on the Board of Trustees.
Artist Link:
www.scarecrowgame.com
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/09/19/the-story-behind-that-fiona-apple-chipotle-ad/
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/11/how-to-build-the-pixar-of-the-ipad-age-in-shreveport-louisiana/247749/
http://www.fastcompany.com/1802695/moonbots-louisiana-studio-hollywood-vets-dream-magical-interactive-stories
TITLE: Feel the Vibe, Read the Room, Test the taste but most of all… PLAY it by Ear.
DESCRIPTION: For almost 4 years MOONBOT studios has been constructing worlds, enriching brands and creating stories while building a company in a QUIET town. Creative partner Brandon Oldenburg will attempt to demystify their NOISY problem solving process and disclose the companies secret motivations.
Chris Fowler
Lighting Supervisor at Pixar Canada
Lighting Tips
Born in Beaumont, TX, Chris is a graduate of The Art Institute of Dallas where he studied Computer Animation/MultiMedia. Starting his career as a generalist in Computer Graphics, Chris ended up specializing in Lighting after his first film opportunity arose with DNA Productions, Inc. After a number of years lighting at DNA and Nickelodeon his career led him to California to Pixar Animation Studios where he worked in lighting on Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up and Toy Story 3. When Pixar opened a new studio in Vancouver, BC in 2010 Chris made the move to Canada to be the Lighting Supervisor at the newly formed studio where he’s been for the past three years working on short films for the studio.
Artist Link:
http://video.disney.com/watch/toy-story-toons-small-fry-4bb39ce21736ba8833003b15
http://video.disney.com/watch/cars-toons-maters-tall-tales-time-travel-mater-4c2ed59b75e895167412f70a
http://video.disney.com/watch/partysaurus-rex-4cb5aeaed8df6adddc0f952d
Steven Stahlberg
Senior Figure Artist at ZeniMax Online Studios
Character Creators: The Good, The Bad, The UglyBorn
1959 in Australia, grew up in Sweden, after 3 years of art school started as traditional illustrator. 1994-6 moved gradually into 3d computer graphics, in Hong Kong. Later worked at Digital Anvil in Austin TX, had my own studio in Kuala Lumpur, worked for Ignition in Florida, CCP in Atlanta, now for Zenimax in Baltimore. Tons of freelancing along the way, in games, movies, advertising, both 2d and 3d.
Artist Link:
http://stahlberg.cgsociety.org/gallery/
Miguel Ortega
Director at Spy Films / Original Artists
Building A World in Your Living Room
Currently: Director at Spy Films/ Original Artists
Previous studios: Digital Domain Vancouver, Tippett Studio, CafeFX, Rhythm & Hues, Luma Pictures
Worked on titles such as: Jack the Giant Killer 2013, Thor 2011, Cats and Dogs 2, Priest Drag me to Hell, Redcliff, The Mist, Nims Island, Fantastic Four 2, Avatar, Superman Returns and Night At the Museum, The Cave, Underworld Evolution and Silent Hill
Artists Links:
http://www.monstersculptor.com/
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1371460348/the-ningyo?ref=search
Ed Jones
Principle at Reel FX Creative Studios
It’s not Black Magic, it’s the Craft of Storytelling
Ed Jones is an award-winning industry leader, visual effects and animation expert, and pioneer in digital media whose illustrious career spans three decades and more than 200 projects. Jones joined Reel FX as Chief Executive Officer in November 2008. He brought creative vision to Reel FX by overseeing all aspects of the studio’s operations and creative work. He recently evolved in to the position of a Principal Partner at Reel FX.
Jones began his career with Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) when there were only 40 employees. In his 13 years he worked on projects such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit where he was responsible for all the optical photography, for which he won an Academy Award®. At ILM, Jones contributed to over 90 films including blockbusters Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, ET: The Extra Terrestrial, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Ghostbusters I &II, Ghost, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the Indiana Jones trilogy.
From ILM, Jones was brought on as CEO/President and Senior Visual Effects Supervisor at
Cinesite in 1992. It was there that he co-developed the Cineon compositing software that went on to receive a Scientific Achievement Academy Award.< Jones led Cinesite for four years until 1996, leaving to continue his career as a sought-after VFX Supervisor In 2001, Warner Brothers chose Jones to build and run ESC Entertainment, the primary studio responsible for Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, Catwoman, and Constantine. As CEO of ESC he built and led a team that developed a creative pipeline culminating in six patent applications being filed by AOL/Time Warner. Warner Bros. then asked Jones to join its Australia-based team in 2005 as Executive Producer on the CG feature, Happy Feet. The film went on to receive an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and a Golden Globe among many other honors.
Link:
INDUSTRY GIANTS 2013 MASTER CLASSES
Steve Quentin (aka Q)
Art Director/ Animator at 900lbs of Creative
Figure Drawing: Being bold with elegance
Born in Readlyn, Iowa, Steve knew he wanted to be an artist from his earliest days. Saturday morning cartoons became a ritual in the Quentin household, and Steve’s love of animation led him to The Ringling School of Art and Design in 1995. There he embarked on a rigorous program of drawing and painting, often spending all day and evening in figure drawing and painting studios. After graduating in 1999, Steve fulfilled his childhood wish and was hired by Walt Disney Feature Animation in Orlando. While working in the Animation department, he worked on the cleanup crew for Kenai Bear (Brother Bear, Lilo (Lilo and Stitch),), The Little Match Girl, Pocahontas (2000 rerelease) and The Lion King (rerelease). When the Orlando studio closed, Steve moved to Dallas, TX, where he is currently employed in the commercial animation field. He has served as principal 2D and 3D animator, art director, concept artist, visdev artist, storyboarder on hundreds of national commercials, video game trailers and movies. In addition to these projects, Steve has received many industry accolades for his freelance work, especially on the recently released “Cold War Clambake”. He has been a featured panel speaker on animation and character development, holds an honorary membership in The Dallas Screenwriter’s Association, and currently moderates a figure drawing studio for fellow professional artists. He also is an accomplished Flash animator, as well as being proficient in Adobe Photoshop, SoftImage XSI, Aftereffects and Painter.
Steve can usually be found in his studio, working on his latest digital creation. Whether creating backgrounds, character design, animation or concept work, he brings a high level of professionalism and creativity to each of his pieces. When he wants to cut loose and relax, he can usually be found fishing or golfing.
Artists Links:
http://www.gizmoart.net/
http://www.gizmoart.blogspot.com/
Michael Mentler
The Society of Figurative Arts
Figure Drawing with Michael Mentler
Michael studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Layton School of Art in Milwaukee and Washington University in Saint Louis, where he taught figure drawing and design.
Michael’s work is in many public and private collections including:
The Pulitzer Collection
The Pearson Foundation
The Steinberg
The Mead Library
Artists Links:
The Society of Figurative Arts http://tsofa.com/
Marc Gilpin
Multimedia & UX Designer
After Effects and Cinema 4D
Over 13 years experience in developing animated, interactive content for all stages of production, from conceptualization to final product. This includes curriculum content, 2d and 3d design/creation, script direction, interactive functionality assessment, creating production schedules for multiple product streams, manager/mentor of professional multimedia design team and co-manager in Marketing/Branding.
Paul Gaboury
3D Product Development Manager at Pixologic
Discovering ZBrush4R6
Paul Gaboury is Pixologic’s Lead 3D Application Engineer who has worked with several studios such as Legacy Effects, Disney Animation, Bad Robot,Pixar Studios, and etc on enhancing their digital sculpting pipeline using the leading industry application ZBrush. He is also involved in the daily development of ZBrush and works with artists around the world offering support. As part of the Pixologic team Paul will travel to various studios and schools giving demos on ZBrush to highlight the various new tools in ZBrush. He most recently released ZBrush Professional Tips and Techniques book which included tips from 18 artists around the world, along with 9 chapters chalked full of tips from Paul. Paul graduated with a BFA from the Bowling Green State University and was an extension student at Gnomon School of Visual Effects.
My book
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118066804,miniSiteCd-SYBEX.html
Demonstrations with Pixar. Last 4 years. Here is the most recent. http://renderman.pixar.com/view/SIGGRAPH2013
Ian Johnson
Motion Designer
After Effects and Element 3D
Born in Oklahoma and raised in Texas, Ian grew up with a very musical mother and a tech-savvy father. He knew from a very early age that his goal was to be an artist, and had a passion to succeed. Cartoons and animated films from childhood were his inspiration to graduate with a degree in 3D Animation from Collin College. His career started at Element X Creative, a company which fosters excellence through example. In 2009–with the help of his mentor, J. Schuh–Ian started his own freelance motion design business. To date, Ian has worked with several companies in Dallas including Reel FX Studios, Post Asylum, and Post:OP and clients such as Sony, McDonalds, Ford, The Dallas Cowboys, and The Despicable Me Motion Ride at Universal Studios Orlando. Ian continues to develop his professional experiences in an effort to better serve his peers and clients.
Luke Olson
Art Director at Tribune Broadcasting
Procedural Graphics with Houdini
Luke Olson is an Art Director for Tribune Broadcasting and has authored training materials for cmiVFX, Digital Tutors, TD College, and in-house training for studios. He has worked on visual effects and motion graphics for a wide range of projects including animated features, live action features, commercials, amusement park rides, television shows, and art installations. He went to school in the Dallas area at Texas A&M University-Commerce and graduated magna cum laude and since has worked for studios across the country including Reel FX in Dallas.
Artist Links:
http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/tutor.php?id=178023
http://cmivfx.com/store/480-Linux+For+VFX+And+CG+Production+Environments
Ed Whetstone
Lighting and Compositing Artist with Reel FX Creative Studios and Freelance Contributor to Digital Tutors
Color Theory for the Digital Age
Ed Whetstone is a CG lighting artist at ReelFX Creative Studios, a Creative Development contributor for Digital Tutors, an occasional graduate student, and an aspiring filmmaker in the considerable free time remaining. Ed has always had a passion for storytelling, and in his opinion, there is no better way to tell a story than through the movies. Since starting down the CG animation path at the University of Texas at Dallas, Ed has focused on the problem of off-the-shelf production — making software built for large studios work for small teams with fewer resources.
Artist Link:
http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/search.php?searchString=ed+whetstone
Josh Carey and the Rigging Dojo Crew
Senior Rigging Supervisor at Reel FX Creative Studios and Co-Founder of Rigging Dojo
Stump the TDs from Rigging Dojo
Josh is the Senior Rigging Supervisor at Reel FX Creative Studios<http://www.reelfx.com> in Dallas, Texas. While at Reel FX, he has rigged and supervised the rigging on projects such as Free Birds (feature film releasing Nov 1st, 2013), the Looney Tunes 3D shorts, 2 Open Season movies, Kung Fu Panda CP and DVD work (including the Secrets of the Furious Five), Madagascar 2 CP work, Escape from Planet Earth, and countless other feature and commercial projects. He has also mentored apprentices at Reel FX, and is constantly training and working with multiple departments to improve production speed and workflows. In 2013, Josh traveled overseas to teach an advanced rigging course for Anomalia. Before Reel FX, Josh has worked in the game industry at KingsIsle Entertainment on an MMO project developing the character pipeline and acting as the bridge between artists and programmers. He also worked at The Animation Farm in Austin, TX, where he carried many hats with rigging, modeling, and animating on projects such as Wideload’s Stubbs the Zombie, some projects for Disney, MTV commercials (which won a 2008 Telly award), Biscuit Brothers (which won an Emmy), cinemas for Terminal Reality, and much more. Over the years, he has developed good relationships across the industry while rigging and consulting for clients such as Buck.tv, Frame, Duckling, Megasquad, Gentle Giant Studios, Lockheed Martin, Synergy Productions, and Motus Digital. In 2005, he contributed to the book by Brad Clark, John Hood, and Joe Harkins, Inspired 3D: Advanced Rigging and Deformations, with a chapter on facial rigging. Josh continues his drive for pushing technology, techniques, and has a vision to share that knowledge with others.
Links:
http:// www.riggingdojo.com
http://www.freebirdsmovie.com/
Fred Gardner
Art Director and Senior Designer at Reel FX Creative Studios
Design for Animation
Frederick Gardner is a 2-time Emmy Award winning artist & background designer. He studied film at Art Center College of Design and UCLA and animation at Cal Arts. His career in animation started in 1990 as an animator/character layout artist for the 2nd season of the Simpsons. He became a character and background designer for Warner Bros in the early 90s and is known for the “Warner Bros style” in his work. He has had the opportunity to work at all the big animation studios in Hollywood: Klasky-Csupo, Warner Bros, Disney, Pixar, Fox, MGM, Hanna-Barbera, DreamWorks TV, Sony, Jim Henson Studios, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Laika. Frederick won his first Emmy for designing the last episode of “The Powerpuff Girls” and his his second for the Cartoon Network series, “Juniper Lee”, while serving in the Army National Guard – Infantry. Recently, he designed the NEW “Mr Peanut” for Laika and just completed work on the films, “FreeBirds” & ” The Book of Life” at Reel FX and is currently working as Art Director and Senior Designer at the studio in Dallas. He resides in Plano, Texas.
Link:
http://elfrederico.blogspot.com/
Bryan Brewer
Lead Animator at Cloud Imperium Games
Animation for Games
With 11 years of industry experience Bryan is now working on the most successful kick starter of all time “Star Citizen” The game has generated nearly $20 million in crowd funding so far and is still generating money. Past games include StarHawk, Rage, Duke Nukem Forever and Ghost Busters. Bryan Has also worked in Film and Television like The Jimmy Neutron TV Show and Everyone’s Hero.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/
Tymon Pitts
Supervising Technical Director at Reel Fx Creative Studios
Free Birds: Feather Fanatics Talk Turkey
Tymon Pitts is a Pipeline Developer at Reel FX Creative Studios. He is a graduate of Full Sail University and started his career as a Modeling Apprentice at Reel FX in 2009. When his apprenticeship ended in 2010, he transitioned to a Technical Director/Pipeline Developer role working on various projects including Open Season 3, Looney Tunes 3D shorts, Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, and Free Birds. He has developed several proprietary tools and plugins during his time at Reel FX including Avian, the feather system used for Free Birds.
Harry Michalakeas
Pipeline Developer at Reel Fx Creative Studios
Free Birds: Feather Fanatics Talk Turkey
A native of the UK, Harry Michalakeas started out in the industry in 1992 as a CG Generalist working primarily on commercials, opening titles, and long-form content for television projects. His strong background in art and computer programming put him on the path that led to his current role as Supervising Technical Director at Reel FX.
In 1996, Harry moved from Bristol to London and landed his first feature film job on Lost In Space as a Senior Technical Director. He also attained the role of Senior TD for Cyberworld 3D Imax, and later as a Lighting TD on Below.
Harry joined Reel FX in 2003, extending his credits on projects such as the opening sequence for Disney’s animated feature film The Wild, the DVD short Aunt Fanny’s Tour of Booty, Blue Sky’s Robots, Sony’s Open Season 2, and Warner Brothers Looney Tunes short films Rabid Rider, Fur of Flying, Daffy’s Rhapsody and Coyote Falls. Most recently, Harry was Supervising Technical Director on Reel FX and Relativity’s Free Birds. He was instrumental in the planning and development of the Reel FX Avian Feather System, Set Assembly system, and Animation Slice system.
Outside of work, Harry enjoys playing guitar, listening to heavy metal, reading, and watching horror movies.
Monika Sawyer
Director Production Technology at Reel Fx Creative Studios
Free Birds: Feather Fanatics Talk Turkey
Monika Sawyer has carved out a very unique position working as a specialist on fur and feathers on a variety of animal characters for such animated films as the “Ice Age” series and “Rio.” Monika started her career in 2004 working at Electronic Arts as a texture artist and shader writer on such video games as “Superman.” She joined Blue Sky Studios in Greenwich, Connecticut where she became a lighting technical director and then ultimately a senior fur technical director on the hit films “Ice Age: The Meltdown,” “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who,” “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur” and “Rio.” She also worked as a senior fur technical director as a character lead on the short film “Scrat’s Continental Crack-Up” and as an environment lead on “Ice Age: Continental Drift.”
A native of Steven’s Point, Wisconsin, Monika attended the University of Wisconsin where she received a Bachelor of Art degree in Communication with an emphasis on Advertising and Design and a minor in Computer Science and German. She then attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and graduated in 2004 with a Master of Fine Arts in Computer Art degree with an emphasis in Digital Lighting. Immediately following art school, she worked on two short films, “Gumshoe and Brok” and “The Machine.”
Scott Peterson
Digital Supervisor at Reel Fx Creative Studios
Free Birds: Feather Fanatics Talk Turkey
With over 15 years of industry experience, Scott Peterson is currently Digital Supervisor for Reel FX in Dallas, TX. Peterson graduated from Columbia University with a Masters Degree in Architecture. He has held previous positions as an Art Director at Digital Anvil Microsoft and Technical Director for Rhythm & Hues, working on such hit films such as Speed 2 and The Nutty Professor. Since joining Reel FX, Peterson has amassed credits for top Reel FX clients such as DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five, Sony Pictures Animation’s Open Season 2, and consumer products animation work for DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, and Madagascar 2 as well as Reel FX’s new virtual world, Webosaurs, to name a few. He is a frequent contributor to industry publications and a regular panelist at events such as Siggraph, NAB, and Industry Giants.
Greg Brown
Creative Specialist for The Foundry
Mari and Modo
Greg Brown is a Modo Creative Specialist at the Foundry. He has worked in advertising as a 3D artist for 5 years and as a freelance character modeler for 8. Greg has produced work for variety of high profile brands during his time at Alter, including Coors, Mcdonalds, Corona, Bacardi, Conoco, Kenmore, Hersheys, Cascade and many others. He currently lives in Chicago, Il and spends his days serving up fresh, hot Modo goodness…
Deke Kincade
Creative Specialist for The Foundry
Mari and Modo
Deke has 14 years of experience in the world of Visual Effects working on over 40 films, 50 commercials and a variety of television shows and video games. Some notable credits include Watchmen, Pirates of the Carribean 2 & 3, The Waterhorse and The Back Eyed Peas Grammy winning music video Boom Boom Pow. He has the pleasure of working at award winning companies such as Weta Digital, Technicolor, Rhythm & Hues, Method, Riot, Asylum VFX and Motion Theory.
Tony White
Author”The Animators Workbook”, “The Animators Notebook” + more
2D-Animating Outside the Box
Artist Alley
Artist Alley is a collection of local concept designers, illustrators and artists. This will be a showcase of inspirational work from around Texas. Artist alley showcase is open to all attendees and included with your ticket.
Stephan Martiniere
Stephan Martiniere is an acclaimed multi award winning science fiction and fantasy artist. His film clients include ILM, Disney, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Dreamworks. As the director for the five animated musical adaptation shows Madeline Stephan Martiniere received the A.C.T Award, the Parent’s Choice Award, and the Humanitas Award and was nominated for an Emmy. Stephan Martiniere has worked on movies such as RIPD, Total Recall 2012, Tron: Legacy, Star Trek, Star Wars: Episodes 2-3, Knowing,I, Robot, The Fifth Element, Virus, Red Planet, The Astronaut’s Wife, Sphere, Titan A.E, and The Time Machine as well as the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy and 300: Rise of an Empire, Stephan was the art director for the visually acclaimed ID Games Rage released in 2011, he was also the visual design director responsible for the games URU: Ages beyond Myst, URU: The Path of the Shell, and Myst 5., and worked several years at Midway Games as Visual Art Director for the game Stranglehold and later as Creative Visual Director of the concept department for several other Midway games including Blacksite: Area 51, Blitz, Ballers, Mortal Kombat vs. DC, Wheelman, and more.
Stephan Martiniere has received the Exposé Grand Master Award, thirteen Exposé Excellence Awards, five Exposé Master Awards, and two Chelsey Award for Best Book Cover, two silver and one gold Spectrum Award for Book Covers and editorial, The Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist, The Ennie Award for Best Cover Art, and The Bookgasm Award for Best Cover Artist. In 2009 Stephan was voted one of the 50 Most Inspirational Artists by Imagine FX Magazine.
Web site : www.martiniere.com Stephan@martiniere.com
Jordan Lamarre-Wan
Visual Development Artist ReelFX
Jordan is an up and coming Visual Development artist working on Guillermo Del Toro’s Book of Life animated feature film at Reel FX studios in Dallas.
He is mostly known for his work on Disney’s Epic Mickey video games where he contributed to the Mickey Mouse re-design and created a dark and whimsical universe that served as a determining factor in the game’s success.
He won the Into the Pixel award in 2010 for his Game Informer cover. Was published in numerous publications including Spectrum 19, Nintendo Power cover and The Art of Epic Mickey 1 and 2.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.” target=”_blank”>jlwconcept@gmail.com
www.theARTofJLW.com
Steve Quentin (aka Q)
Art Director/ Animator at 900lbs of Creative
Born in Readlyn, Iowa, Steve knew he wanted to be an artist from his earliest days. Saturday morning cartoons became a ritual in the Quentin household, and Steve’s love of animation led him to The Ringling School of Art and Design in 1995. There he embarked on a rigorous program of drawing and painting, often spending all day and evening in figure drawing and painting studios. After graduating in 1999, Steve fulfilled his childhood wish and was hired by Walt Disney Feature Animation in Orlando. While working in the Animation department, he worked on the cleanup crew for Kenai Bear (Brother Bear, Lilo (Lilo and Stitch),( The Little Match Girl, Pocahontas (2000 rerelease) and The Lion King (rerelease). When the Orlando studio closed, Steve moved to Dallas, TX, where he is currently employed in the commercial animation field. He has served as principal 2D and 3D animator, art director, concept artist, vis dev artist, storyboarder on hundreds of national commercials, video game trailers and movies. In addition to these projects, Steve has received many industry accolades for his freelance work, especially on the recently released “Cold War Clambake”. He has been a featured panel speaker on animation and character development, holds an honorary membership in The Dallas Screenwriter’s Association, Currently a board member of A Bunch Of Short Guys ( an animators guild) and currently moderates a figure drawing studio for fellow professional artists. He also is an accomplished Flash animator, as well as being proficient in Adobe Photoshop, SoftImage XSI, Maya, After Effects and Painter.
Steve can usually be found in his studio, working on his latest digital creation. Whether creating backgrounds, character design, animation or concept work, he brings a high level of professionalism and creativity to each of his pieces. When he wants to cut loose and relax, he can usually be found Working on his wood lathe.
Art Director/ Animator @ 900lbs of Creative
www.900lbs.com
Amanda Christenson
Gearbox
I’ve been doodling up a storm since I was old enough to grip a crayon and was lucky enough to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art to hone those scribbling skills into something more marketable- game art! I graduated from MICA in 2008 and returned to my hometown of Dallas to pursue my lifelong dream of working in the game industry as a concept artist. Recently, Gearbox gave me that golden opportunity and I couldn’t be happier cranking out drawings every day. When I’m not drawing up a storm I can sometimes be found out hiking with my hyperactive Jack Russell Terrier, writing stories, or playing video games.
Kerry Gammill
Concept and Comic Book Artist
Kerry Gammill grew up in Ft. Worth Texas and began drawing at an early age. His early art was inspired mostly by the monster movies he watched on TV at every opportunity.
He began his professional art career in 1978 joining the roster of artists at Marvel Comics. His first regular assignment was drawing the adventures super-hero team POWERMAN AND IRON FIST followed by stints on MARVEL TEAM-UP (starring Spider-Man), INDIANA JONES and X-Men spin-off FALLEN ANGELS. He also penciled issues of FANTASTIC FOUR, UNCANNY X-MEN, STAR WARS, SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, DEADLY FOES OF SPIDER-MAN, SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, WONDER MAN and DOCTOR STRANGE, as and others featuring well-known Marvel characters such as Captain America, The Hulk, Daredevil, She-Hulk, The Punisher and others.
In 1988 Gammill began drawing SUPERMAN at DC Comics. For the next four years he worked exclusively on various Superman titles including ACTION COMICS, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN and SUPERGIRL as well as two graphic novels, SUPERMAN FOR THE EARTH and SUPERMAN: UNDER A YELLOW SUN. Other work for DC included TEEN TITANS, POWER-GIRL, ELVIRA’S HOUSE OF MYSTERY, HAWK AND DOVE and others Gammill left comics in the mid-’90s and began doing work as a conceptual artist for film, providing designs or storyboards for many sci-fi movies and TV shows including VIRUS, PHANTOMS, SPECIES II, THE OUTER LIMITS, STARGATE SG1, DREAMCATCHER, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, TREMORS – THE SERIES, G.I.JOE: VALOR VS. VENOM and the video game AREA 51. He has also produced graphics and designs for movie posters and DVDs.
His book, “KERRY GAMMILL’S MONSTERS AND HEROES FOR FILM AND COMICS” published by Vanguard Productions is now in it’s third printing. Gammill also compiled an award-winning book on the art of legendary monster magazine cover artist Basil Gogos which was published in 2006.
After several years of work as an art director and conceptual artist for a Dallas area promotions agency, Gammill recently returned to comics and to his love of horror stories as the founder, publisher, editor-in-chief and art director of Monsterverse Entertainment which produces critically acclaimed horror comics like BELA LUGOSI’S TALES FROM THE GRAVE and FLESH AND BLOOD. Gammill’s other recent works include cover illustrations for other publications such as FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine and KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES, a massive book on 1950s sci-fi movies. He is also an executive producer of an upcoming documentary by filmmaker Robert Tinnell called THAT $#!% WILL ROT YOUR BRAIN: HOW THE MONSTER KIDS TRANSFORMED POPULAR CULTURE.
kerrygammill.com
Elija McNeal
Cloud Imperium Games
Elijah McNeal is a concept artist/illustrator working in the video game industry. In the past he has contributed to the Skylanders Giants and Ben 10 IPs. Currently; He is working at Cloud Imperium Games assisting the Creative Director with Visual Development on the Star Citizen, and Squadron 42, franchise.
His work may be viewed on CGHub: http://elijah.cghub.com/
David Mitchell
Concept Artist at Nerve Software
David Mitchell has working in the game industry for about 3 years now. He started out at a mobile games company in Austin, TX called D7 Studios. There he did concepts for characters, digital comic covers, and graphic design for app interfaces for about 7 months. David moved on to Nerve Software after that and has done concepts for Black Ops 2, Aliens Colonial Marines and other internal projects.
Website: http://applecrow.carbonmade.com/
CGHub Page: http://applecrow.cghub.com/